Here’s what the fight against COVID-19 looks like from the perspective of nurses. National Nurses United surveyed nearly 23,000 nurses across the entire US.
87% reported having to reuse single-use disposable respirators or masks with a COVID-19 patient. 28% had to reuse decontaminated respirators with confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Survey finds 87% of America’s nurses forced to reuse protective equipment https://t.co/qQt1Jtn2GH
— Carl Zimmer (@carlzimmer) May 21, 2020
72% reported exposed skin or clothing while caring for suspected or confirmed patients. 27% say they’ve had to care for COVID-19 patients without proper PPE.
84% of nurses say they haven’t been tested. Of those who have been, more than 500 have come back positive.
One-third of nurses say employers have required them to use their own sick leave, vacation, or paid-time-off if they need to self-quarantine.
